Method of laying submerged pipe



Aug. 24, 1948. R. H. ELLIS ET AL METHOD OF LAYING 'SUBMERGED PIPES FiledFeb. 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 24, 1948. R. H. ELLIS ETAL METHOD OFLAYING SUBMERGED 'PIPES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. '28, 1947 m PmREUBEN H. ELL/5 INVENTORS BY MA A M/LLI/V W Maw? 4/2.

Patented Aug. 24, 1948 Reuben H; Elli's;- Alexandria; anaMm-timniMillingAnderson, Ind.

Application February 28, 19.47,,Senial No.-731, 59 3- (Cl- GIL-7'2 7Claims.- 1

' invention relates to a" methodbftravers ing., waterways,with lines forutility services such as sewer, water, gas, oil and the like.

The present invention is directed toproduction of "such'a line as aninverted syphon by'floatation and submergence o-f'a conduit and'theformation therein of the pipe for such utility service.

The 'chief' feature ofthe present inVen-tion'resides'in' the excavationof a channel or'tren'ch" across the waterway'and inthe bed and adjacentbanks. thereof, floating to that channel a: pro teeter-conduit,submerging'sameinsaidchannel, ballasting and back filling the conduitand-channel respectively, cofier damming the opposite ends of theconduit; and then removing the water from the-coffier-pits and conduit.

A'secOnd'feature of the invention residesin laying within the conduitof; a-s-ectionalized pipe, and-*then filling the 'spacebetweem theconduit and pipe.

The pipe may be supplied tothe conduit prior to -floatation, etc,- orsubsequent to submergence andb allasting. Herein the latter speciesisdi'sclosed by way of example only;

Other objects and features of the invention will besetforth morefully'hereinafterl The fullnature of the inventionwill be understoodifro-m the accompanying drawings and the following description andclaims;

In the drawings:

Figrl vis' -a longitudinal'central sectional view through: a stream bed:and banks with an: ex

cavator in; side elevation at showing preliminary bed:treatment Fig:,21is a similar view 'of'the 'bed, the 'excavae tor; being removed, theconduit being shown: .by: fulliilinest inthe trench formed'in the bedand; submerged, dotted lines showing the conduit: in the floatedposition immediately prior to sinking samednto the trench.

Figr3 his a similar viewshowing the coffer dams at each end of theconduit structure, the ballast for retaining the conduitiinlthetrench,the trench being back filled, and several pipe sections in the conduit.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the pipe sections extendingacompletelythrough the conduit or casing and the latter partially filled to holdtheapipe sections in position within the casing and to further reenforcethe casing and ballast the same.

Fig. 5 is a similar View with the coffer dams removed and the cofferpits backfilled and the ends of the sectionalized pipe, exposed by theconduit, being connected to a supply and outlet on. oppositebanks of thestre'amito complete the supply. line.

In Fig. 1 of'th'e drawings-- lufindicat'es a'waterf way. to, be,crossed; ,the. stream lVeYbeing in'di? sated at. H From one or bothbanks,. in the: latter case successively" or simultaneously; the;

banks l2 are cut downasat" l3f'andia' channel or. trenchHM'isformediacrossth'e streaini bde Aicrane. 15 withdra'g'jliiie,buoketlfiiniaybewni ployedfor such purpose.

A conduit, I! of the requisitplengtl'iitd cross the. waterway, ,see 2jyh'as opposite; ends sealedby plates I81, Connected tothecondfiitenea'git each. end, are anchor flanges l9; and"'riser's1 20? Theupper ends of;'risers. -2fli'areclosedwitl iir.e= movable plates 2|. I

At, least .onev end .inchidsl controlivaliie1211 111111 extension 23,,althbugh ..-both endsmay; he, valve. controlled,ifJdesiiedI Wheneverdesired or. re.-.. quired intermediate risers. mayf'beeemployed." Tfi'edOtte'dCllhes irLFigl. 2,.lll'ustratetl'i e. sealed en'd conduit.floatingl above; the trench. It. maygb e. guided, ,and restrained-sin:any,fsuit'able manner,

Whentsol positioned valve 22 is; opened and? thewate'r flows. into andfillslthe'. condiiifidisplacing.,,'the air= therein thelatterescaping;..bm. wayeofth'etriser. or. risers. The trench seated? conduitI Tiisj then ballaste'd by applying'jbyj. suit able means? such' asaifunnel a; suflicienti. amount offconcrete 2 L; see..F!ige. 3",toithetriench andover the condi1it..

This rigidly holds the conduit in place. i The, ends ,oflthe conduitare. then icoffer dammedias shown. at l. 25'," see Fig; 3;" and "the;spoil'removed from within. same maybe used'forj backfillihgjfi' above"the ballast, Pumps .21" with suction? lines ZSYZand, discharges. 29'then. empty,the coffr; pits and .';the conduit" of water, andthe pumps,liold same empty, ,even ,if, some, leakage occurs. When thus emptiedtheconduitds. heldftothestrench by. its. weight,- the ballast and;thelbaokfillingit If thehdlayedlaying .spe'ciesbe employedl'seqtions, ofpipe 3U are successively, appliedio the now-open end btfconduit v-l'lfsee-rlghtih'and portion of Fig. 3'."

Theini-tlal ,section entering; end .-may,.be l shod asiate3'lin anydesired manner Additional sec tions are aligned andforced:into-theeconduitebyt suitable *mea-nsesuchwas'eindieated at 32a,The pipe isectionsrma-y have ianwsuitablee type; of: ine terconnection.

When the entering end of the pipe appears at and projects from theopposite end of the conduit 11, both ends of conduit are closed byplates lBa, see Fig.4.

sure is then applied to the filling material after hopper 34 is removedand the upper end of riser 20 made airtight by replacing plate 21 Themortar or concrete being sufficiently fluid is forced downwardly in theriser and outwardly into the space between the conduit I1 and pipe 30.

When sufiicient mortar or concrete has been The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a submerged siphon and like structure comprisingexcavating a trench across a river bed, sinking a floatable conduit inthe trench, and of a length suflicient to at least terminate at theriver banks, permanently weighting the sunken conduit by application ofconcrete and the like thereover, coffer damming the ends of the conduit,removing the water therefrom and in the coifer dams, inserting pipe intoat least one end of the conduit until the pipe is co-extensive with theconduit and projects beyond the same 'at both ends thereof, and finallyfilling the space 7 between the pipe and conduit with suitable materialsuch as concrete for further ballasting, re-

enforcement and the like.

thus intermittently supplied and pressure applied.

to completely fill the conduit, the air therein escaping from the riserat the opposite end, both risers are detached and removed together withall associated connections and devices. The land ends of the utilityline are connected as at 4| to .the conduit exposed ends of the piping30, or same, for sewer purposes, may all be connected to manholes, notshown.

The coffer dams may be removed at any time deemed expedient or desirableand the coffer pits back-filled. The completed submerged syphon isillustrated in Fig. 5.

By way of example only, a 120 ft. length of conduit, 31 inches indiameter, was supplied with an. 18 in. diameter pipe and the spacetherebetween filled with concrete in about two'hours, which is wellwithin the initial setting time of certain concrete mixtures.

When the amount to be supplied prevents actual supply within such limitof time, either by reason of the length of the conduit or amount ofspace to be filled or for any other reason, the conduit may include acentral riser that terminates above water level II and concrete may besimultaneously applied from opposite ends of the conduit, the airventing at that central riser.

The rates of supply being substantially equal,

inspection need be exercised at the central riser only near the initialcompletion period. When the concrete appears in that riser the supplythereof is discontinued from the end that is filled and the supplycontinued from the other end until concrete therefrom also appears atthe central'riser.

Then both supplies are operated to completely fill the midportion of theconduit. The central riser may then be detached and removed.

This riser is removed so it will not constitute either a navigationhazard, or an abutment for a tree, etc., to lodge against duringfreshets, thereby eliminating the hazard of displacing or upturning ofthe conduit and pipe.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

2. A method as in claim 1, the steps of providing the conduit withelongated lateral vents and closable ends and sinking the conduit byopening the vents, the vents being of a length greater than the trenchdepth, the sinking being accompanied by the opening of at least oneclosed end of the conduit when the latter is registered above the trenchand the openin of at least one vent 0n the conduit above the riverlevel.

3. A method as defined by claim 2 wherein the filling of the conduitbetween the pipe and same is effected through a conduit vent, and thenremoving the vent upon completion of the conduit filling.

4. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein the pipe insertion to theconduit is eifected following submergence and ballasting of the latter.

5. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein the pipe insertion to theconduit is effected following submergence and ballasting of the latter,the pipe being sectional in character and the section lengths beingeffectively less than the coffer dam dimension aligned with the conduit,the pipe insertion being of repetitious section connection and advanceuntil the sectionaiized connected pipe projects from the conduit at theend thereof opposite section insertion end.

6. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein the conduit filling isaccomplished by successive applications' of filling material andapplication of pressure thereto to effect successive advance of thematerial in the conduit.

7. A method as defined by claim 1 wherein the conduit filling isaccomplished by successive applications of filling material andapplication of pressure thereto to effect successive advance of thematerial in the conduit, the conduit being vented to facilitate fillingmaterial advance, removing the material and pressure supply and ventmeans, and connecting the syphon to the adjacent ends of the supplyline.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany 1932 Number

